NFL free agency starts next Wednesday, March 13, when the new league year begins and players can sign contracts with new teams. Negotiations are formally allowed to start two days before that. Before the free agency news picks up, here’s what you need to know about the Texans.

Cap space

After placing the franchise tag on Jadeveon Clowney (more on that in a moment), the Texans now have just more than $74 million in effective cap space, per Over The Cap. That ranks fifth-most in the league. Unfortunately for Houston, division rival Indianapolis leads the league with almost $107 million in cap space, one reason some pundits believe the Colts might be beginning a sustained period of excellence.